Manufacture of rail bonds



' Feb. 16,1926. 1,573,219

C. A. CADWELL MANUFACTURE OF RAIL BONDS INVENTOR.

Fel 16 ,1926.

C. A. CADWELL MANUFACTURE OF RAIL BONDS FiledAJan. 18, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 om@ lmwooooolwm MILA INVENTOR Car/ar @ada/el! ATTORNEYS.

f in which l have contemplated a Patented Feb. 16, 1926.

Application filed January l, 1922.

.To all fr/0m t maf; concer/n:

Be Iit known that l, imams A. iowrpn, a citizen of the United States, ai l e, resident of Cleveland, county oit Guy hoge, and State of Chio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the lllunuiacture et Rail Bonds, of which the iollowing is a specification, the principle of the ition being` herein explained and the bes*V inode troni other principle, so as to distinguish it inventions.

rlhe present invention relates more particularly to the manufietu' oi rail bonoL of the type consisting el? llexible body portion of copper or equivalent metal oi high conductivity to the terminals or which are braZed pieces of steel or" relatively sul stantial bulk, whereby such terminals art adapted to be attached to the rail by arc welding. @ne term oi' bond having` the construction j ust referred to is described and claimed in the (o-pending application oi lWilliam E. Huber and Charles il. Cadwell,

' filed Januery 18, 1322, Ser. No. 530,3.' 2, und

. provide a simple and inexpensive inetnod 'ior manuacturing` bonds or this type in the sho) whereby a pluralioy et such bon1 equipped yith terminals el steel el lent metal with a iuinimuu'i of ellort on thc part oi the operator and assurance that uniformly perfect welds will be obtained between the ends of the copper conductors forming the bodies of the bonds und such terminals.

To the accomplishment oi' the foregoing and related ends sad invention, then, consists of the means he "einaifter 'fully described and particularly pointed `out in claims, the annexed drawinos an the lowing description setting orth iu del,A certain means and one mode ol carryinx out the invention, such disclosed means eno. mede illustrating, however, but one et ous ways lin which the principle oi' the invention may be used.

In` said annexed drawings 1 Fig. l. is a side elevation with a portion sectioned away oi an apparatus adapted ior carrying on my present improved .method etero, s oneven-Ann, tiene, A coRroneTeN 0F OHIO.

P'EENT QFFECE.-a

GNGR T0 THE ELECTRIC RAIL- RAIL BNDS.

Serial No. 530,133.

ot manufacturing bonds of the type in question; Fig. 2 is a plan view of such apparatus; 3 is a transverse section thereo taken on the plane indicated by the line 3*-3 on 1 and 2; Fig. *l is a section ot a detail of the apparatus taken at ight anoles to that in 3, indicated by the line on said ligure; Fig. 5 is a plan View similar to tint of Fig. 2 but illustiatingl` a modihcation in the form oi the apparatus; and F 6 is a transverse section of such modilied form of apparatus, the plane thereof being indicated by the line 6 6,

il typical :form oi bond .in the manufacture of which my improved apparatus is intended to be employed, as shown in Figs. 3 and ll, comprises a body l composed of stranded conductors of copper or equivm lent highly conductive material. rl"he respective ends of such bond body are cnclosed in a sleeve 2, preferably of the seme metal, such sleeve being` conveniently formed by wrapping a narrow band oi copper, for example, around the ends oi the conductor and thereupon placing seme under heavy pressure between suitable dies with the result that the component strands entering;` into such. end are rendered practically solid. rlhe tinished bond terminal includes a piece of steel or equivalent metal which, in the particular `term et bond illustrated7 takes the form of a short section 3 of cylindrical rod having a diameter approximately equal to the transverse width oi" the preformed tern'linul. rlhe latter brazed to such rod section or piece oi steel, wl'iatever its forni, by depositing around the same a suitable quantity of molten brass or equivalent brazing material and it is for the purpose of thus blazing' such terminals to the ends of the bond bodies that the present apparatus has been designed.

in the illustrative form of such apparatus slown in Figs. l to Ll, inclusive, l utilize a plurality of graphite molds e of general rectangular form with their ends flaring down-- wardly and outwardly (see Fig. Each of these molds is formed with a recess l of just the proper length and width to receiif'e the steel piece 3 that forms the bond terminal proper, and of a depth sufficient to include, in eddition to such steel piece, the preformed end of the bond enclosed by the sleeve The bond body is suppOltGCl by H `described above, I preferably align a.

Vheat resistant material suitable 'ie 5 or other means with such pretorined end resting` o'n the steel piece and the mold is then raised to a hie/h tem 3era- Ature b i passino' a heatine' electric curl. k3 D rent therethrough will be prese y described. Simultaneously with such heating` ot the mold, braze material is ted into the feeess onto the steel piece adjacent the preformed bond end. In the form et apparatus under consideration tivo brass rods 7, 7, are shown as being,- sin'iu-ltancously ted into the mold, being `guided in suitable tubes 8, "l, provided tor this purpose, and the ends ot these rods melt oil, the molten brass Will fill the mold above the steel piece El and around ,the preformed end to the desired height, whereupon the operation is stopped, and as soon as the molten metal has selliciently cooled, the bond is removed and any excess brass machined oil ot' the terminal. As a result the steel piece Whether ot' the` rod section, shown in Figs. 3 and 1l, r of other shape, is firmly united to the sleeve 2 and included strands o t the inaterial forming' the body ot the bond by surrounding' mass 9 of brass. The body oit the bond may then be bent into lj or other shane, depending' upon the particular use to which it is to be put, Whether for connecting the. immediately abutting,- ends ol rails or for so-celled crossover connections, etc.

In order to facilitate the carryingout o the brazing operationY involved in torni; the terminals ot successive bonds, as

pl rality ol molds on a suitable bed l() of that at the saine time is a non-conductor oi electricity. T o bars or blocks ll lie on said bed lO, one on each side ofthe'aligrned series ot molds, said bars raving their. inner faces beveled in a direction the reverse ot that oit the ent..J the molds so as to assist in holding the la iter in place. The assembled series oit molds is clamped together by means of tivo transverse bars l2, l2, one at each end ot the series, that' are connected together by means of tie rods i3, 13, which are suitably insulated from the one such bar and are provided with nuts in the form et hand wheels le at their opposite ends that adjustably press against the corresponding,Y bar through the medium of compression springs l5. lt is the purpose of these springs to automatically maintain a nearly constant pressure on the line ot' blocks forming` the resistance path ot the heating current, since the electrical resistance of this path varies with the pressure and the pressure changes with the expansion ot the materials due to heat.

Current is supplied to the respective ends ot the series of molds by means of suitable elexgftrodes or conductors i6, 1G, that are clamped eg" 'lost the respective terminal mold or rather a similarly lshaped liller block 1T by the adjacent transverse bar l2. It will accordingly be that the current will traverse the entire series ot molds in passingr from one such terminal conductor 1G to the other. rlhe molds being.;` most conveniently made oit graphite which is a relatively good conductor of eetrici .l increase the resistance of the path and cause a more intense heating ot such mold by interposing;v thin carbon plates i8 between successive molds. lli desired, :i pluralioj: o such carbon plates or `ninations may he thus interposed, as shown in Fig. l, in order to increase the resis ice at these points and thus the heating en which is conducted directly to the graphite molds.

ln operation, the steel pieces l that form the terminals of the bonds are placed in the bottoms ot the recesses el in th. several molds. Thereupon the preformed bonds, one or more up to the total number ot the molds l provided in the apparatus, are disposed each with one end resting upon such terminal piece, the temperature o which along with such bond end is raised to the proper temperature lor blazing by turning on the electric current and then sullirient brazed material to etlectuelly unite the two parts in question is supplied to each :auch mold recess. Tpon turningr oill the current the moldsrquickly cool to a point where the bonds may be removed and reversed in pmition to form the terminals on their oppimite ends or else new bonds be substituted. the ease may be. The heal' i current e: i he mod' appro'l'lriately regulat` e assembled series ol u laininations by turnl e El in one direction or the o `ier. vf'll be ui'idcrstood that a suitable i'luxing imiterial will he added :dong with the bruising material in order to insure 'i p ris ile W :sibl'if' kept coniimmersed in, and covered bv, :i bath of nier ed borax, such bath servir to heup the lio `graphite and carbon troni contact Vith the air, which would otherwise cause the same to burn away. fit'lhe saule time, of course, such hath pert'orms the :l'unczimi of a linx Ytor the braziiur` operation. lr. will also be understood that the body brass that unites the steel piece coiritiluiinu the terminal proper to the end et the bond body may be machined or otherwise linished, as desired.

ln the inodilied term oi" apiiaratus illuslrated in Figs. and 6, l employ a series ot graphite molds with interposed carbon laminations 1S as betere. lnstead, however, et `onliY two tie rods. one on each side for clamping such assembled molds together, l

lll

employ four such rods 20, two on each side, the inner ends of each pair being attached to a bracket 2l projecting late ally trom the bed 'l0 and the outer ends oit both being provided with nuts in the 'torni ot hand wheels lfl that bear against the adjacent transverse bar l2 through the medium ot springs l5. l also empl-oy, instead ot a jig et the type shown in Figs. 1 and 3 for holding the bond and feedingl the brazed material into the mold, a series of lateral stay members 22 adjustably supported upon a bar 23 disposed alongside the series ot molds, the forward ends ot' these members serving to supp-ort between them the successive bonds which may have their ents lightly concaved to insure that they will rest in proper central position over the pieces of steel to which they are to be united. The brass, as indicated in l? ig. 6, may be ted in trom one side either by hand or automatic means', as desired.

vWith either ot the foregoing forms ot an paratus it is rendered possible to rapidly assemble a large number ot bonds and terminal pieces in properly aligned position and the brazing `of the two together may thereupon be accomplished Wit-h expedition and assurance that a uniformly perfect juncture is secured in each instance.

Other modes of applying the principle et my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the means and the steps herein disclosed, provided those stated by any one oit the lollonf'ing claims or their equivalents be, employed.

l theretore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my inrention1-- l. The method of making a rail-bond ot the character described1 as a separate article ot n'ianutacture, which consists in inserting '.hc endet a. conductor in a recess in a suitable mold, also placing in such recess adjacent such conductor-end a piece 'o t metal, and then heating such mold and introducing a quantity ot braze in such recess, thc teniperature et the mold being sutlicient to melt such brazo whereby such conductor-cial and piece of metal are firmly united together.

2. The method ot making a rail-bond ot the. character described, as a separate article ot nuinufacture, which consists in press-lit ing a sleeve around the end et a kstranded conducton inserting` such condnctonend in a recess in a suitable meld, also placing in auch recess adjacent such conductor-end ay piece of steel, and then highly heating such mold and simultaneously introducing a quantity of braze in such recess, the temperature of the mold being suiicient to melt such braze whereby such conductor-end and piece el ysteel are firmly united together.

il. The methed. of making a rail-bond oit the character described, as a separate article .et manufaetnre, which .consists in press litting a sleeve of the same metal around the end ot a stranded copper conductor, in sei-ting such conductor-end in a recess in a suitable mold, also placing in such recess adjacent such conductm'eml a piece or" steel, and then highlyv heatingl such mold and introducing a quantity o'lt braze in such recess, the temperature of the mold being su'llicient to melt. such brazo whereby such conductorend and piece ot steel are lirmly united together.

4. In apparatus ot' the character described, the combination ot a recessed mold adapted to receive and hold in adjacent relation the end oi" a conductor and a supplemental piece oi metal to be attached thereto, means apart Ytrom said mold adapted to support such conductor in position with one end thereoic thus held in said mold, and means for heating said mold.

5. In apparatus ot the character described, the combinati-on ot a recessed mold adapted to receive and hold in adjacent relation the end ot a conductor and a supplemental piece of metal to be attached thereto, means apart trom said mold adapted to support such conductor in approximately vertical position with one end thereof thus held in said mold, means for supplying braze material to said mold, and means for heating said mold.

G. In apparatus ot the character described, the combination yot a. recessed mold adapted to receive and hohl in adjacent relation the end ot a conductor and a supplemental piece ot metal to be attached thereto, means apart `l'roni said mold adapted to support such conductor in position with one end thercolE thus held in said n'iold, means for supplyingl brazo material to said mold, and electric. resistance means tor heating said mold.

7. ln apparatus ot the character described, the cf'nubination ol a plurality ot recessed `nuilds arranged side ln' side, electric resistance plates interposed between successi ve molds. each olf the latter being adapted to receive and held in adjacent relation the end yoi' a conductor and a supplemental piece ot meta-l to be attached thereto, and means iter passing a heating electric current through said series et molds and interposed resistance plates.

S, tn apj'iaratus of the character described` the combination of a plurality ot recessed molds arranged side by side, electric rcsist ance plates interposed between successive molds, each ot the latter being adapted to receive and hold in adjacent relation the end of a conductor and a supplemental piece of metal to be attached thereto, means for adjustably clamping together said series ot molds and interposed resi-stance plates, and electrodes for supplying current connected with the terminal members of said series.

il. ln apparatus et the character described, the combination of a p hjirality of recessed llO graphite molds arranged side by side, electric resistance plates interposed between Sneeessve molds, each of the latter being adapted to receive and hold n adjacent relation the end o1" u conductor and n Supplemental piece of metal to he attached thereto, means adapted to retain :L plurality of such conductors in position with the ende thereof thus held .in Said mold-s, means for adjust- ;rbly clamping together said Series of molds und interposed resistance plates, :1nd electrodes for supplying current connected with the terminal members of Said Seriet.

Signed by Ine this;` 16th day ot January w21.

CHARLES A. CADWELL. 

